Machine for reducing a mass of metal chips to smaller pieces



April 1, 1958 I K E 2,828,923

MACHINE FOR REDUCING A MASS OF METAL CHIPS TO SMALLER PIECES Filed July 2, 1956 v 2 Sheets-Speed; 1

jnrentan' He lm 'r Kl amer H. KRAMER April -1, 1958 MACHINE FOR REDUCING A MASS'OF METAL CHIPS T0 SMALLER PIECES Filed July 2. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [five/7Z0 HelmuT Kramer ,J, inn

MACHINE FOR REDUCING A MASS F METAL CHIPS TO SMALLER PIECES Helmut Kramer, Koln, Germany, assignor to Pintscli Bamag A. G., Berlin, Germany Application .l'uly'2, 1956, Serial No. 595,295

Claims priority, application Germany July 1, 1955 6 Claims. (Cl. 241-190) The present invention relates to a machine for reducing a mass of chips to small pieces, and more particularly to a machine for breaking up a mass of metal chips, such as metal shavings or turnings, which interlock and form a coherent tough mass.

In the breaking up of steel chips or other metal chips in crushing machines, considerable difiiculties are encountered due to the fact that the mass of chips or shavings consists of chips of different and variable toughness and resistance to being broken, crushed and torn. Some of the metal shavings or chips are more brittle, and rapidly crack and fall apart when subjected to the action of beaters. Other chips or shavings contained in the mass are tougher and more resilient, and require a much longer time for being reduced to particles of smaller size by the action of the heaters. Occasionally, single very tough shavings, which are taken along by the moving beaters and do not tear off, are entangled with great balls of shavings and chips, and pull a large coherent mass of. entangled and interlocked shavings into the interior of the machine so that the apparatus is overloaded and is either clogged or stalled.

It has been proposed to tear the mass of shavings and chips apart before it is fed to the beaters.

Such devices are required in addition to the crushing machine and require comparatively much space so that the operation is uneconomical. Another disadvantage of the arrangements according to the known art isthat it is very diflicult to adapt the feeding speed to the varying speed of operation of the crushing machine if the toughness of the mass of metal chips varies, or if the mass contains tougher and more brittle shavings and chips. Consequently, it is still required to design the crushing machine for frequent overloading so that the machine operates uneconomically at normal loads. I

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the known machines for reducing chips and shavings to-smaller pieces, and to provide a machine capable of breaking up a mass of chips and shavings consisting of particles of different toughness and resiliency.

It is another object of the present invention to provide in the inlet opening of the machine tearing means which cooperate with the heaters to break up tough, coherent and interlocked material before the material is exposed to the beater action proper.

It is another object of the present-invention to provide in the inlet opening of the machine tearing means with projecting teeth along which smaller bundles of the interlocked mass are drawn by the beaters so, as to be torn before being exposed to the beater action proper.

It is another object of the present invention to provide nited States Patent 0 closure plate means in an inlet passage of the machine which engage and restrain larger coherent mass portions in the inlet passage for preventing a clogging of the machine.

With these objects in view, the present invention mainly consists in a machine for reducing a mass of chips to small pieces, and comprises, according to one aspect of the present invention, a housing having an inlet opening; beater means movable across the inlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through the inlet opening into the housing; and stationary elongated tearing means extending across the inlet opening adja cent the beater means and in the direction of the movement of the same for sustaining coherent portions of the mass against the breaking action of the beater means and for tearing smaller. portions of the mass moved by the beater means along the tearing means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, stationary breaking members are located in the region of an outlet in the housing and arranged on both sides of the beaters. Return guide means are located in the outlet opening opposite the end portions of the beaters for retaining larger pieces of the mass and for guiding such larger pieces back into the housing so that only small pieces pass through the outlet opening.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the beater means include a set of axially spaced rotary beater members which have beater portions movable along a circular path across the inlet opening and across the outlet opening. The tearing means are constituted by a set of stationary segment-shaped tearing members respectively located between adjacent beater members and extending across the inlet opening parallel to the circular path of the associated beater portions.

The tearing members have outwardly facing projecting teeth for engaging the mass passing through the inlet opening so as to sustain coherent larger portions of the mass against the breaking action of associated beater portions and for tearing smaller portions of the mass moved by the beater portions over the teeth of the tearing members. Adjustable means support the tearing members on the housing to permit an adjustment relative to the beating members. Similar adjusting means are provided for adjusting the position of the return guide means, which preferably comprise a plurality of guide members having curved front guide faces facing the ends of the beater portions.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one closure plate means is provided in an inlet passage communicating with the inlet opening,

' and is movable between a substantially vertical position and an inclined position transversely projecting into the inlet passage for engaging and restraining coherent portions of a mass of chips pulled through the inlet passage by the beater means.

The novel features which are considered as character- 'istic for the invention are set forth in particular in the best understood from the following description of spein the outlet opening of the machine, return guide'means which are so arranged as to return larger coherent pieces which are carried toward the outlet opening by'the rotating beater means. I

It is a further object of thepresentin vention to provide cific embodiments when read in connection with th accompanying drawings, in which:

some of the elements being shown in a plane view for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of an improvement of embodiment. shown in Figs.'1 and 2; and

Fig. 4.illustr'ates a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, a housing 15 has an inlet opening 16 and an outlet opening 17. An inlet passage means 6 extends upwardly and outwardly from the outlet opening 16, and an outlet passage means 12a is connected to the outlet opening 17. A shaft means it is provided which is mounted in the housinglS and carries a set of beater members 1 and 1' which are arranged on the drive shaft 18in crossing positions. Each beater member has a square hole through which a square portion of shaft 18 passes. The heater members 1 and 1' are separated by axially spaced collars 18a. Plates 18b engage the housing and prevent axial movement of shaft 18. Members 180 are secured to shaft 13 and hold elements 1, 1' 18a and 181) against axial movement. Each beater member has two outwardly located beater portions which move along a circular path when the heater means 1, 1' are rotated. Segment-shaped tearing members 2 are arranged in the inlet opening of the housing, and are arranged alternately with the beater members 1 and l sothat the beater portions of the beater members move between two segmentshaped tearing members 2 during the rotary movement of shaft 18. As shown in Fig. l, the free end portions 1a of the heaters 1, 1' project slightly beyond the segment-shaped tearing members. However, the exact relative position between the beater portions and the tearing members can be adjusted, since the tearing members are mounted on a pivot means 3 which is common to all tearing members. The other ends of the tearing members are connected to a curved plate 4 which slides along the interior surface of the housing 15 and covers an opening to therein through which a member 4b passes. Member 421 is attached to a manually operated member including a hand wheel 5 and a threaded spindle 5a engaging a nut means 511 so that operation of the operating means 5, 5a will result in a shifting of the plate '4 and thereby in a pivotal movement of the tearing members 2. The spindle 5n and nut means 5b rigidly hold the tearing members 2 in each adjusted position.

Each tearing member 2 is provided with a set of outwardly facing teeth 2:: which have the steeper flanks thereof facing in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the beater means 1 and 1'.

A plate portion 11 of the housing 15 is pivotally mounted at 11a and is urged into the illustrated position by resilient means 11b. A pin 11b is pivotally mounted on the housing 15, so that the pin 110 can be moved through a slot 11:] in a portion of the member 11 whereupon the member 11 can be pivoted into a position permitting access to the interior of the housing and to the tearing and heater means.

The inner surface of the member 11 carries a set of projections 10 which are arranged between adjacent tearing members It and opposite the end portions 111 of the beater members 1 and 1'. When rather compact ccherent pieces of the mass are compressed between the free ends 10 of'thc beater means 1, 1 and the teeth 10, the member 11 pivots while resiliently compressing the spring 11b so that a clogging of the machine is prevented.

, he mass of shavings,-turnings and chips is fed through the inlet passage in the inlet means 6 into the inlet open ing 16. Due to the upright arrangement of the inlet passage means 6, the material will slide into the inlet opening due to the action of the force of gravity. However, when larger cohcrent halls of interlocked shavings and chips are fed into' the inlet passage, the effect of gravity is negligible as compared with the pulling action of the beater means 1 and 1'. Even large coherent masses and bundles of the interlocked. shavings which may be arranged on a table above'thc inlet passage means 6 will be dragged and pulled by the beater means into the machine. V t

The outwardly located beater portions of the beater means 1 and 1' beat between and through the tearing means 2 into the fed mass of chips, so that the mass is pulled into the interior of the housing but is at first held back by the outwardly facing teeth 2a of the segmentshaped tearing members 2. Large bundles of interlocked shavings and chips are held by several tearing members so that the associated beater members 1, 1' break the bundles which are sustained by the teeth 21: against the beater action. Smaller bundles of the mass are engaged by the free end portions of the beater means and moved along the circular path of the same while they are being torn by the outwardly facing teeth 2a. Consequently, larger bundles are broken into smaller bundles and smaller bundles are torn :by the action of theteeth 2a so that the material entering the interior ofthe housing under the action of the beater portions, is already broken up into smaller pieces.

In this manner, the heaters are used for dragging coh'erent interlocked shavings and chips into the housing. By adjustment of the position of the tearing members 2, it is possible to adapt the machine to the toughness of the material fed thereto, and also to the rotary speed of the beater members.

'A set of breaking members 7 is arranged in the region of the outlet 17 in the housing 15. The breaking members 7 are arranged in the spaces between the beater members 1 and 1 so that the beater portions of the beater members cooperate with the breaking members 7 to further break up the mass of chips and shavings. In order to prevent that larger coherent pieces of the mass are thrown by the beater members 1 and 1 into the outlet opening 17 and out of the outlet passage 12a, in accordance with the present invention a set of return guide means is arranged in the outlet opening 17, each return guide means 8 being arranged opposite the circular path of one of the free end portions of the beater members 1 and 1', as best seen in Fig. 2. Each of the return guide means has a front face of part-circular configuration cooperating with the front end face of the respective associated beater member. Consequently, larger pieces of the mass are guided by the curvedfront faces 8a of the return guide means to return with the beater members into the housing where they are again subjected to the breaking action of the beater, members cooperating with the breaking members 7. Material returned by the front guide faces 8a of the return guide means 8 is thrown by the heaters against the bathe plate 9 from where it drops into the interior of thehousing. Due to the fact that the free end faces of the beater members 1 and 1' are spaced by a very narrow gap from the curved front faces 8a, long shavings cannot gather on the guide means 8. Furthermore, the rear faces 31') of the return guide members 8 are narrower than the front faces 8a, as best seen in'Fig. 2. Due to this arrangement, the formation of deposits of very fine particles of broken up material behind the guide means 8 is impossible, which would otherwise occur due to the. draft produced by the retating beater means 2 and 2. In this manner it is possible to directly discharge in a continuous How the broken up mass which is frequently intermixed with torn fabric used for cleaning purposes, without any clogging and without'any additional conveyor means or blower means. The draft produced by the rotary beater means is sufiicient to throw the broken up mass through the outlet opening into the outlet passage 12a and to force the mass through the outlet passage in the upwardly projecting outlet 12a and directly into a truck.

The previously described tearing projections 10 aid the breaking 'etfect of the beater means without causing any clogging of the machine. In the event that very compact and coherent portions of the mass are engaged by the beater means 1 and 1', the resiliently supported plate 11 gives so that the mass can pass into. the interior of the ggusing to be broken up between the breaking memload on the machine.

Preferably, and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the breaking members 7 and the return guide means 8 are arranged on a pivoted plate 12 which, when opened, permits access to the interior of the machine.

Occasionally, the continuous feed of the mass of chips and shavings to the machine is interrupted so that the inlet passage 6 is completely empty. If in this condition of the inlet passage, small pieces of material are. fed into the machine, such small pieces may be blown back by the beater means and ejected from the inlet passage so as to endanger the operator.

It is known to arrange closure plates in the inlet pas- I sage, but the closure plates according to the known art have the disadvantage that at the beginning of the operation, or after an interruption of the operation, it is necessary to feed the mass of chips and shavings by suitable means into the machine and through the inlet passage since the closure plates according tothe known art pre-' vent an automatic gravity feed of the supplied mass. On

the other hand, a bundle of shavings fed under the closure plate according to the known art, may be pressed by the closure plate in downward direction against the beater members, which may result in a sudden overload of the machine.

While the set of tearing members prevents the entering of larger bundles into the interior of the machine, whereby a clogging of the machine is substantially prevented, it is nevertheless possible that undesired high loads are caused by the consistency of the fed material. For example, if a very dense bundle of very brittle shavings is fed into the machine, such bundle is broken up in a very rapid operation between thetearing members and the beater members so that the entire interior of the machine is suddenly flooded by broken up small chips. In this event, the beater means have to beat and transport a great amount of material which results in a very great Such load would be considerably increased by a closure plate means according to the known art which would further force the mass of shaving against the tearingmembers and beater members.

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the known constructions of closure plates, in accordance with the present invention a closure plate arrangement is provided according to which closure plate means are suspended at the upper ends on the inlet passage means.

A closure plate arrangement according to the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. A closure plate means 13 is mounted between the side walls 19 of the inlet passage means 6 and is movable between a substantially vertical position shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, and a position inclined with respect to vertical and horizontal planes. A weight member 16 engages an extension of the closure plate 13, and due to the pivotal mounting of the closure plate means 13 and of the weight means 16, the closure plate tends to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in solid lines. This position is assumed by the closure plate 13. at the beginning of the operation or after the feeding of the mass of chips and shavings has been interrupted. When a load of chips and shavings is placed on the closure plate 13, it opens and exerts a certain pressure on the fed mass of material due to the action of the weight means 16. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the mass which has entered the inlet passage of the inlet passage means 6 is pressed against the front wall of the inlet passage. Thereby, larger bundles of the mass of chips and shavings are restrained so that very brittle material is not suddenly pulled into the machine by the action of the beater means but is slowly and uniformly dragged intothe machine by the rotating beater means 2 and 2.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4, a pair of closure plates 14 and 15 is arranged in the inlet passage means 6. Weight means 17 and 18 are respectively associated with the closure plates 14 and 15 and urge the same into the illustrated position in which the closure plate means 14 and 15 engage stop ledges 20 and 21 which are provided on the side walls of the inlet passage. In this position, the lowermost ends of the closure plates 14 and 15 engage each other. The closure plates 14 and 15, can bepivoted against the action of the weight means 17 and 18 into the positions illustrated in dashand-dot lines in which they extend in substantially vertical direction into the inlet passage in the inlet passage means 6. It will be understood that instead of the weight means 16, and 18 and 17, respectively, resilient means, or hydraulic means may be used for urging the closure plates into the inclined position. It is also contemplated to arrange the closure plate 13 in a position turned through an angle of 180 so that the pivot point of the closure plate 13 is located above a front wall of theinlet passage means 6 and the closure plate 13 is urged against the rear wall of the inlet passage means.

In both embodiments of the closure plate means according to the present invention, the closure plates are normaally in an inclined position. Consequently, the closure plates do not open and close in a sliding move ment, as would be the case in the event that the closure plates are arranged in horizontal positions, but open even after turning through a very small angle a comparatively large opening for the passage'of the fed material. This advantageous result is obtained by supporting the upper ends of the closure plates by pivot means and by suspending the closure plates from such pivot means. An additional advantage of this arrangement resides in that it I is safely prevented that single bundles or shaving jam the closure plates as is possible in the constructions of the prior art. Small bundles of shavings which cannot produce any overloading of the machine, rapidly drop into the machine. When larger bundles of the mass of shay} ings are fed, which are dragged by the beater members into the machine, the desired restraining eflect of'the closure plates on the bundles of fed material takes place. Even if very tough shavings form the bundles, the closure plates do not constitute an obstruction because such bundles are pulled with great force into the machine since the tough shavings of such bundles are interlocked.

A machine provided with the closure plate means and with the tearing and return guide members according to the present invention is capable of crushing and breaking up all kinds of materials such as metal shavings; turnings produced ona lathe, and all other kinds of metal chips. The terms chips, shavings and turnings are used in the present description interchangeably, and the term chips may denote any kind of shaving or turning produced in any manner whatsoever. The machine according to the present invention is capable of breaking up brittle, dense, bulky, light and heavy, tough and brit-, tle chips in a highly economical and very reliable manner.

It will be understood that each of the elements ,described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of crushing and break: ing machines difiering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a machine for reducing a mass of chips to small pieces and including tearing members cooperating with the heaters and arranged in the inlet of the machine, and return guide members arranged in the outlet of the machine, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpointof prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are r 7 intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

I. In a machine for reducing a mass of chips to small pieces, in combination, a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening; rotary beater means in said housing having beater portions movable along a circular path and across said inlet opening, toward said outlet opening, and across said outlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through said inlet opening into said housing and for ejecting the broken up mass through said outlet opening; stationary elongated tearing means extending across said inlet opening adjacent said beater means and in the direction of the movement of said heater portions for sustaining coherent larger portions of the mass against the breaking action of said heater portions and for tearing smaller portions of the mass moved by said beater portions over the surface of said tearing means; and stationary breaking teeth resiliently mounted in said housing in said inlet opening opposite said beater portions.

2. In a machine for reducing a mass of metal chips to small pieces, in combination, a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a set of axially spaced rotary beater members mounted in said housing and having beater portions movable along circular paths across said inlet opening and towards said outlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through said inlet opening into said housing and for ejecting the broken-up mass through said outlet opening; and a set of stationary segment-shaped tearing members respectively located between adjacent beater members and extending across said inlet opening parallel to the circular path of associated beater portions, said tearing members having outwardly facing projecting teeth for engaging the mass passing through said inlet opening so as to sustain coherent larger portions of the mass against the breaking action of associated beater portions and for tearing smaller portions of the mass moved by said heater portions over said teeth of said tearing members.

3. In a machine for reducing a mass of metal chips to small pieces, in combination, a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a set of axially spaced rotary beater members mounted in said housing and having beater portions movable along circular paths across said inlet opening and towards said outlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through said inlet opening into said housing and for ejecting the broken-up mass through said outlet opening; a set of stationary segment-shaped tearing members respectively located between adjacent beater members and extending across said inlet opening parallel to the circular path of associated beater portions, said tearing members having outwardly facing projecting teeth for engaging the mass passing through said inlet opening so as to sustain coherent larger portions of the mass against the breaking action of associated beater portions and for tearing smaller portions of the mass moved by said beater portions over said teeth of said tearing members; means supporting said set of tearing members on said housing for movement relative to said beater portions between a plurality of positions; and means secured to said housing and connected to said tearing members for moving the same between said positions and for rigidly holding said tearing members in each of said positions.

4. In a machine for reducing a mass of metal chips to small pieces, in combination, a housing having an in let opening and an outlet opening; a set of axially spaced rotary beater members mounted in said housing and having beater portions movable along circular paths across said inlet opening and towards said outlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through said inlet opening into said housing and for ejecting the broken-up mass throughsaid outlet opening; a set of stationary segment-shaped tearing members respectively located between adjaceut beater members and extending across said inlet: opening parallel to the circular path of associated beaterportions, said tearing members having outwardly facing projecting teeth for engaging the mass passing through said inlet opening so as to sustain coherent larger portions of the mass against the breaking action of associated beater portions and for tearing smaller portions ofthe mass moved by said heater portions over said teeth of said tearing members; pivot means supporting one end of each of, said tearing members on said housing for pivotal movement; a connecting member connecting the other. ends of said tearing members; a threaded spindle pivotally secured to said connecting member; a hand wheel secured to one end of the spindle; and a nut means secured to said housing and threadedly engaging said spindle whereby the position of said tearing members with respect to said beater portions can be adjusted in accordance with the consistency of the mass of chips and in accordance with the rotary speed of said beater means.

5. In a machine for reducing a mass of metal chips to small pieces, in combination, a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening; a set of axially spaced rotary beater members mounted in said housing and having beater portions movable along circular paths across said inlet opening and towards said outlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through said inlet opening into said housing and for ejecting the broken-up mass through said outlet opening; a set of stationary segment-shaped tearing members respectively located between adjacent beater members and extending across said inlet opening parallel to the circular path of associated beater portions, said tearing members having outwardly facing projecting teeth for engaging the mass passing through said inlet opening so as to sustain coherent larger portions of themass against the breaking action of associated beater portions and .for tearing smaller portions of the mass moved by said beater portions over said teeth of said tearing members; a set of stationary breaking members secured to said housing forwardly of said outletopening inwardly projecting from said housing in radial direction with respect to the axis of said beater members and being respectively located between adjacent beater members; and a set of return guide members extending across said outlet opening in direction of said circular paths, each return guide member being located opposite one of said heater members and having a curved guide face facing the end of one of said heater portions during movement of the same along said circular path for guiding large pieces of the mass back into said housing so that only small pieces of the brokenup mass pass through said outlet opening between said return guide members and said breaking members.

6. In a machine for reducing a mass of metal chips to small pieces, in combination, a housing having an inlet opening and an'outlet opening; an outlet tube communicating with said outlet opening and projecting upwardly from said housing; a set of axially spaced rotary beater members mounted in said housing and having beater portions movable along circular paths. across said inlet opening and towards said outlet opening for beating and breaking a mass of chips fed through said inlet opening into said housing and for ejecting the broken-up. mass through said outlet opening; a set of stationary segmentshaped tearing members respectively located between adjacent beater members and extending across said inlet opening parallel to the circular path of associated beater portions, said tearing members having outwardly facing projecting teeth for engaging the mass passing through said inlet opening so as to sustainjcoherent larger portions of the mass against the breaking action of associated beater portions and for tearing smaller portions of the mass movedby said beater portions over said teeth of said tearing members; a set of stationary breaking members secured to said housing in the region of said outlet opening and being respectively located between adjacent beater members, said breaking members extending in substantially radial direction; and a set of return guide members extending across said outlet opening in direction of said circular paths, each return guide member being located opposite one of said beater members'and having a part-circular front guide face facing the end of one of said beater portions during movement of the same along said circular path for guiding large pieces of the mass back into said housing, each of said guide members having a streamlined cross section and a rear face of smaller width in axial direction of said rotary beater members than the width of said front guide faces for facilitating the free flow of the broken-up mass through said outlet opening under the action of the draft produced by said 10 beater means in said outlet opening and outlet tube by preventing turbulence behind said guide members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 919,499 Ulery Apr. 27, 1909 982,942 Emmott et a1. Jan. 31, 1911 1,144,102 Brainard June 22, 1915 1,772,533 Battey Aug. 12, 1930 2,045,691 Armstrong June 30, 1936 2,171,463 Tschauner Aug. 29, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,759 Great Britain of 1914 140,803 Germany May 1, 1903 883,224 Germany July 16, 1953 

